McClure’s Interception Pays Off for Corona del Mar

Bud McClure pays his son, John, $100 for every interception or sack he makes for the Corona del Mar High School football team.

But John McClure’s interception Thursday night against University will be worth more than the $100 bill his father will hand him this morning.

The defensive back intercepted Brad Vail’s pass at the Corona del Mar 12-yard line with 43 seconds remaining to preserve a 17-13 victory over University in a Sea View League game at Irvine High School.

The victory guaranteed third place in the league and a spot in the Southern Section Division VI playoffs for the Sea Kings (5-4-1, 2-2-1 in league). University dropped to 4-6, 2-3.

“That was McClure’s biggest play of the year,” Corona del Mar Coach Dave Holland said. “It put us in the playoffs.”

University nearly stole the game, and the playoff berth, away in the final minute.

Corona del Mar’s Tom Hess kicked a 36-yard field goal with 1 minute 12 seconds remaining to give the Sea Kings a 17-13 lead.

University then marched from its five-yard line to Corona del Mar’s 17 in only 37 seconds. Vail completed four consecutive passes for 61 yards on the drive.

But it was Vail’s last pass that mattered.

Vail rolled to his left and lobbed the ball to the left side. With no University player close to the ball, McClure shot under it and pulled it in.

“I was rolling out with the quarterback,” McClure said. “It (the ball) was tipped and I was the lucky guy to get to it.”

McClure’s interception capped a strong second half for Corona del Mar, which rallied from a 13-0 halftime deficit with two touchdowns.

Kevin Murphy scored on a one-yard run with 2:12 left in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 13-7. George Dickson caught a nine-yard pass from Chad Woolsey to put Corona del Mar ahead, 14-13, with 6:07 left in the game.

“The difference was that we were able to move the ball in the second half,” Holland said. “In the first half, University was running the ball at will on us.”

University scored on its first two possessions and outrushed Corona del Mar, 162 yards to 27, in the first half.

Marc Walker put University in front, 7-0, on a one-yard run with 5:05 left in the first quarter. University pushed the lead to 13-0 with 10:14 remaining in the half when Jerry Apana caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Vail.